Antiviral Activity of Constituents of Tamus communis

Summary

The antiviral activity of the phcnanthrene derivatives 1-6, of the spyrostane triglycosides dioscin (7) and gracilini (8), of the furostanol tetraglycosides methylprotodioscin (9), its (25S) epimer methylprotoncodioscin (10), and methylproto-gracillin 11, have been tested towards two RNA viruses: vesicular stomatitis virus and human rhinovirus type 1B. All these products were extracted from the rizomes of Tamus communis L; compound 11 was isolated also from Asparagus cochinchmensis, together with pseudoprotodioscin (12), a 20 (22)-unsaturated furostanoside, which was also investigated for antiviral activity. The results were of some interest mainly for the phenanthrene derivatives.

Key Words:

• phenanthrene derivatives
• Tamus communis
• antiviral activity
• virus.